Yes. The Prophet ﷺ joked with his Companions, but he only ever said what was true. Joking becomes wrong when it involves lying, mocking people, frightening them, or so much laughter that the heart becomes hard.
Islam is not a religion of constant seriousness. The Companions once asked the Prophet ﷺ, "You joke with us?" and
he replied, "Indeed I do not say except what is true" 1. That is the key rule: humour is fine, lies are not.
Here is one of his jokes. A man asked him for a mount to ride, and the Prophet ﷺ said he would give him a
she-camel's child. The man was puzzled: what could he do with a baby camel? The Prophet ﷺ replied, "Do any others
than she-camels give birth to camels?" 2. Every camel is some she-camel's child. It was true, and it was funny.
Now the limits. "Woe to him who tells things, speaking falsely, to make people laugh thereby. Woe to him! Woe to
him!" 3. Made-up stories told as true, just for laughs, fall under this warning.
Mockery is also out. Allah says, "let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than
them", and forbids insulting nicknames 4. Jokes about someone's looks, race or family can hurt deeply.
Pranks that scare people have a clear ruling too. When a Companion took another man's rope while he slept and
frightened him, the Prophet ﷺ said, "It is not lawful for a Muslim that he frightens a Muslim" 5.
Finally, balance. Aisha never saw the Prophet ﷺ laugh so hard that his palate showed; he mostly smiled 6. He
also advised, "do not laugh too much, for indeed increased laughter kills the heart" 7.
So enjoy good humour with friends and family. Keep it true, keep it kind, and keep it in proportion.
The evidence
1
HadithJami' at-Tirmidhi 1990
Sahihgraded by Al-Albani
The Prophet ﷺ joked but said only what was true.
Abu Hurairah narrated:"They said: 'O Messenger of Allah! You joke with us?' He said: 'Indeed I do not say except what is true.'" (Hasan)
The Prophet's joke about giving a man "a she-camel's child" to ride.
Narrated Anas ibn Malik: A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: Messenger of Allah! give me a mount. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: We shall give you a she-camel's child to ride on. He said: What shall I do with a she-camel's child? The Prophet (ﷺ) replied: Do any others than she-camels give birth to camels?
العربية
حَدَّثَنَا وَهْبُ بْنُ بَقِيَّةَ، أَخْبَرَنَا خَالِدٌ، عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ احْمِلْنِي . قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّا حَامِلُوكَ عَلَى وَلَدِ نَاقَةٍ " . قَالَ وَمَا أَصْنَعُ بِوَلَدِ النَّاقَةِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " وَهَلْ تَلِدُ الإِبِلَ إِلاَّ النُّوقُ " .
3
HadithSunan Abi Dawud 4990
Hasangraded by Al-Albani
Woe to the one who lies to make people laugh.
Narrated Mu'awiyah ibn Jaydah al-Qushayri: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Woe to him who tells things, speaking falsely, to make people laugh thereby. Woe to him! Woe to him
العربية
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدُ بْنُ مُسَرْهَدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ بَهْزِ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " وَيْلٌ لِلَّذِي يُحَدِّثُ فَيَكْذِبُ لِيُضْحِكَ بِهِ الْقَوْمَ وَيْلٌ لَهُ وَيْلٌ لَهُ " .
4
Quran Al-Hujuraat · 49:11
Do not ridicule others or call them by offensive nicknames.
O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule [other] women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name of disobedience after [one's] faith. And whoever does not repent - then it is those who are the wrongdoers
5
HadithSunan Abi Dawud 5004
Sahihgraded by Al-Albani
It is not lawful for a Muslim to frighten a Muslim.
Narrated AbdurRahman ibn AbuLayla: The Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) told us that they were travelling with the Prophet (ﷺ). A man of them slept, and one of them went to the rope which he had with him. He took it, by which he was frightened. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: It is not lawful for a Muslim that he frightens a Muslim
العربية
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ الأَنْبَارِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَصْحَابُ، مُحَمَّدٍ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَسِيرُونَ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَنَامَ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ فَانْطَلَقَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى حَبْلٍ مَعَهُ فَأَخَذَهُ فَفَزِعَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لاَ يَحِلُّ لِمُسْلِمٍ أَنْ يُرَوِّعَ مُسْلِمًا " .
6
HadithSahih al-Bukhari 6092
SahihBukhari
The Prophet ﷺ usually smiled rather than laughing loudly.
Narrated `Aisha:I never saw the Prophet (ﷺ) laughing to an extent that one could see his palate, but he always used to smile only
العربية
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرٌو، أَنَّ أَبَا النَّضْرِ، حَدَّثَهُ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ مَا رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مُسْتَجْمِعًا قَطُّ ضَاحِكًا حَتَّى أَرَى مِنْهُ لَهَوَاتِهِ، إِنَّمَا كَانَ يَتَبَسَّمُ.
7
HadithJami' at-Tirmidhi 2305
Hasangraded by Al-AlbaniGraders differ
Ahmad Muhammad Shakir: Hasan
Al-Albani: Hasan
Bashar Awad Maarouf: Hasan
Zubair Ali Zai: Daif
Do not laugh too much, for much laughter kills the heart.
Al-Hasan narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said:"Who will take these statements from me, so that he may act upon them, or teach one who will act upon them?" So Abu Hurairah said: "I said: 'I shall O Messenger of Allah!' So he (s.a.w) took my hand and enumerated five (things), he said: "Be on guard against the unlawful and you shall be the most worshiping among the people, be satisfied with what Allah has alloted for you and you shall be the richest of the people, be kind to your neighbor and you shall be a believer, love for the people what you love for yourself and you shall be a Muslim. And do not laugh too much, for indeed increased laughter kills the heart
This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24